I disagree with that first part Drithius. Saving up gold for some uber item on the auction house sounds just as fun as getting a drop if you ask me. It gives you something to shoot for. Once you save up that amount of gold it will feel awesome to know you can finally purchase your item.

I remember playing Final Fantasy 11 and saving up my gold to buy items at the auction house. It was pretty rewarding and fun. I imagine some people would prefer hand choosing their items rather than random drops anyway.

I just don't see that as a downfall for Blizzard, but to each their own.